Even in today’s world of online and mobile marketing, trade shows still stand out as the best way to meet targeted potential customers face to face. Some companies have a much better result at a trade show than others. A few companies even rely on their favorite trade show as a primary source of leads.
Just like any other marketing channel, you must break through the clutter at a trade show in order to gain the best results. Here are 5 ways to make sure your trade show experience is the best it can possibly be:
- Make sure your trade show display really pops. There are many trade show display options available online and it’s really important to make sure your display is professional. Use a firm that has professional designers who know how to create trade show graphics. Remember your display is there to entice, not inform. You can hit them with all your features and benefits after you lure them to your booth.
- Have engaged, attractive people working your booth. Nobody wants to stop by a trade show exhibit with a bored person looking at his or her cell phone. Make sure whomever is working your booth is making eye contact and drawing people over.
- Have some kind of treat at your booth. I had a client exhibit at a materials handling trade show once. Although it was a rather dry topic, the client had a popcorn machine and handed out free popcorn. Everyone saw the popcorn and wanted to know where it came from! (They smelled it too!)
- Have materials that align with your trade show display graphics. In other words, continue the story you start on your display on your materials. A cohesive, well-designed approach to marketing makes you look organized and smart.
- Make sure you know how you will handle sales leads. Many people do drawings with business cards and you can certainly do that if you like. If you’re really engaging people one on one, you should gather enough cards anyway. But know how you plan to handle the leads after the trade show is over. Follow up quickly to continue to build on your great work at the event!